From the sky, the Barossa Valley is a patchwork of farms, vineyards and villages. A rich German tradition runs through the veins of Barossans and it shows in the baked goods rising in ovens around the region.

About an hour’s drive from Adelaide is the Barossa Valley. The region’s known for its food and wine (shiraz grapes are the local specialty), festivals, and farmers markets.

The Barossa’s also home to chef Maggie Beer, winemaker Peter Lehmann and one of the oldest Scotch ovens in the country in Apex Bakery.

The Barossa Valley welcomed a large amount of German settlers in the 19th century, and many of their traditions continue today, especially in the bakeries where you’ll find products such as vollkorn bread, bienenstich and kranskys.

Foodies are accustomed to perfection here and critics are tough, so if you’re going to serve food, it’d better be up to scratch. We’ve picked out some bakers that are up for and exceeding the challenge.

1/ Mehl Sourdough

Mehl (which is German for flour) Sourdough is the creation of Rebecca Tucker and Martin Ritzmann. You’ll find them at the Barossa Farmers Markets every Saturday.

After living together in Germany for 18 months, Rebecca and Martin returned to the Barossa, where they were mentored in everything sourdough by Barossan bakers William and Claire Wood from Careme Pastry.

At Mehl Sourdough’s stall you’ll find sourdough that’s white, wholemeal multigrain, rye, seeded, spelt, fruit, vollkorn (sprouted rye grains, rye flours and seeds) and even crumpets.

Try the spelt loaf, which packs a nutritional punch without being too dense.

Our pick: Sourdough Crumpets

2/ Tanunda Bakery

Tanunda, known as the cosmopolitan heart of the Barossa, is also home to Tanunda Bakery. Owners Harding and Elke Trinkle opened the bakery in 1996 and produce German sourdoughs, cakes, pastries, and buns.

Harding learnt the art of baking from his father, German baker Helmut Trinkle. After spending some time in Germany, Elke and Harding returned to Australia, bringing their passion for German baking back to the Barossa.

In Tanunda Bakery you’ll find a bunch of German breads (think rye sourdough, vollkorn sourdough and aged doughs) all made from Harding’s sourdough culture.

Pastries here also have a German flavour and include streusel buns, bienenstich (a traditional German yeast cake filled with custard cream) and even house-made gelati.

Don’t leave the Barossa without sampling a torte from Tanunda Bakery. With everything from Blackforest, chocolate, mocha, hazelnut, lemon and more, these layered cakes are to die for.

Our pick: Hazelnut Torte

3/ Eleni Barossa Hand-Made

Eleni Michau is known as the artisan baker of the Barossa. Born in Sweden, raised in Johannesburg and trained in cookery back in Sweden, Eleni brings the world with her to the Barossa.

Eleni makes Italian ciabatta, Scandinavian buns, and sourdough made from her own culture. Also handcrafted by Eleni is a range of gourmet pies that are “not the kind you scoff on the way to the footy” but the type best enjoyed with a good glass of Barossa wine.

Find Eleni at the Barossa Farmers Market every Saturday and her products at various stockists around the Barossa.

Our pick: Strawberry and Almond Meringue Cake

4/ Maggie’s Farm Shop

Maggie’s Farm Shop in Nuriootpa is the only place you can sample every product Maggie Beer makes. The shop can put together a picnic box for you, which you can enjoy around the grounds of the estate or take elsewhere. Otherwise, you can dine in the eatery or just wander around the shop, tasting as you go, and speaking to the staff about the best ways to use Maggie’s products.

While most of the products come from commercial kitchens in Tanunda, the Farm Shop has a small kitchen where they make seasonal products, including an amazing range of cakes.

Our pick: Seville Marmalade Brownies

5/ D&M’s Bakery Café

The D and M in D&M’s Bakery Café stand for Damon and Mel, the owners who set up shop in Angaston in 2012. With Damon baking out the back and Mel running things front of house, the team has gone from strength to strength.

On the menu you’ll find full breakfast and light lunch options along with an impressive range of baguettes, wraps, focaccias and sandwiches.

The menu here is distinctly Barossan. When it comes to baguette fillings you can choose between a garlic mettwurst (from Schulz Butcher), pickle (from Zimmy’s Barossa), tomato, cheese and lettuce baguette and a baguette filled with haloumi (from the Barossa Valley Cheese Company), sundried tomato and baby spinach.

On the pie side of things you’ll find the Hutton Vale lamb and rosemary pie and the Angaston Pie, which is filled with beef that’s been slow-cooked in Yalumba shiraz with Schulz Butcher’s smoky bacon and garlic mettwurst, Barossa Valley Cheese Company camembert and Zimmy’s Barossa pickles.

Our pick: Angaston Pie

6/ Apex Bakery

The smell of fresh bread has been wafting from the doors of Apex Bakery since 1924. Keith Fechner, now 98, began his baking apprenticeship in 1926, at 12-years-old, and would eventually purchase the business. His sons, Brian, David and Jonny now run the bakery under the strict ethos that Keith still knows best.

The majority of recipes used at the bakery date back to the 1800s and are still cooked in the original wood-fired Scotch oven, an oven that’s rumoured to be the longest running continuously fired commercial wood oven in Australia.

Apex Bakery fare includes long fermented breads and pastries such as the bienenstich.

In 2014, Apex Bakery was awarded a Barossa Trust Mark Pioneer for their 1924 ferment dough. The recipe for the bread dates back to before Apex Bakery opened its doors. The loaf is a blend of the cultures of early European settlers from Germany, England and Italy.

Our pick: 1924 White Bread

7/ Lyndoch Bakery and Restaurant

By now, you’ve probably picked up on the strong German thread that runs through the providores of the Barossa, and Lyndoch Bakery and Restaurant is no exception. It’s owned by the same people who run the Sunrise Bakeries, only Lyndoch has a licensed German restaurant attached.

Head here for a quick snack (all the usual German baked goods are available), a light meal or dinner with a Schofferhofer or other type of German bier.

Our pick: Beesting Cake

8/ Sunrise Bakeries (Angaston, Truro and Evanston)

Sunrise Bakery in Truro is a little slice of history. Since 1908 it’s been an inn, newsagency and bakery. In 1991, James and Angela Nagel reopened the store as a bakery and it’s been Truro’s baking heart ever since.

Sunrise Bakery also has stores in Aganston and Evanston. In each bakery you’ll find pies, pasties, sausage rolls, cakes, krankys, light meals, sandwiches and more. Sunrise Bakery also offers an impressive range of coffee, shakes, and frappes.

Our pick: Yeast Custard Log

9/ Gawler South Bakery

Gawler is South Australia’s first country town, planned by the Surveyor-General Colonel Light (he also planned the city of Adelaide). Among the historic architecture of the town you’ll find two bakeries under the name of Gawler South Bakery.

The bakeries have 50 years of Barossan baking under their belt. First opening in Adelaide Street, the bakery’s success led to a second bakery in Tod Street.

Third-generation bakers, owners and brothers, Jason and Nathan Assender run the stores, which pump out, among other items, tarts filled with flavours such as Nutella, peanut butter, and Snickers.

Also on the shelves are doughnuts and cookies, cream cakes, bread, sandwiches, pastries, pies, and sausage rolls.

Our pick: Doughnuts